If you own a home and your plumbing toolkit consists of a lone plunger, chances are sooner than later you’ll need to tap into the knowledge or advice from someone versed in common plumbing repairs. Ace can help you in a pinch. While a plunger can be handy in several different scenarios, Ace Hardware has the plumbing tools, plumbing supplies and knowledgeable plumbing advice on hand to face a plumbing problem head on.
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Several types of pipe were used during the nineteenth century. With little or no knowledge of its possible long-term harmful effects, lead pipe was widely used. Its low price and the ease with which it could be formed and joined made it the material of choice for many installations. Iron, brass, and copper pipe were used as well. It was not unusual for a structure to be plumbed with several types of pipe, each used where it was most suited. But by the early twentieth century there was a move away from lead piping. The basic elements of domestic plumbing, in both the kitchen and bathroom, were in place by the 1890s. Changes since that time have been primarily aesthetic and in the materials used. During the second half of the twentieth century, tubs and basins that previously had been made of glazed ceramic or enameled iron, and much of the pipe manufactured in the United States as well, were being made of plastic.
Several of the nation's larger cities were providing water to their residents during the first decade of the nineteenth century, but only infrequently was water actually brought into homes. City-provided water was used in large part to fight fires and flush streets. Household water was most likely taken from a tap located outside of the house or a common hydrant. For those not connected to city mains, and even some who were, there were still other ways to obtain water. If a stream was not near by, there was rain runoff from a roof. It could be collected in one or more tanks located in out-of-the-way places in a house and feed the plumbing system through gravity.
The most common residential drain to cause problems is the kitchen sink drain. Food particles, grease, soap or detergent build up can all, over time, slow down or completely block the flow of water down to the septic or sewer system. A garbage disposal as well as an installed dishwasher add more pipes to the mix which create more potential for clogs.